Julie Doyle (of The Polyphonic Spree and Good Records) and her friend Tony Barsotti created the lounge as a true gathering place for an underserved neighborhood. They've got the gather part down, but unless their name means "lounge here because our service will force you to be here for a good bit of time," they need to speed things up with the wait staff. We all can appreciate growing pains, but we sat for two hours and only got through one round of appetizers.
Though service is sluggish and the name is confusing (who's on first?), the food and drink are fantastic. Micah Killough (of HG Supply Co. and Common Table) is the man behind the food here, and he brings his take on Southern "shareable small plates" to the table. Hot ticket items like fried chicken confit, the Here burger (their haute version of a bacon cheeseburger with avocado), cauliflower hash and a simple yet delicious charcuterie plate. (I couldn't bring myself to order the chicken-fried Akaushi rib eye, which just seemed like such a waste of beautiful steak.) The menu is limited, but what they do here, they do well.
Omar Yeefoon's work on the cocktail options was thoughtful. Their cocktail list, like their food menu, is carefully curated to offer a small number of unique items. They have some crowd-pleasers like the Sugarmaker made with coconut water and adorned with a jaunty umbrella, and some more unique options like The Ideal Stinger made with Hennessy VS and Branca Menta.
With a little finesse, this gem will be a unique and appealing dinner and drink spot for Lakewood residents and travelers alike as the space's vibe and offerings are completely new to Dallas. (Just make sure to give yourself plenty of time to lounge there.)
The Lounge Here, 9028 Garland Road (Lakewood), theloungehere.com
